


Foundation

by Jo Lasalle (Jo_Lasalle)



Category: Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-03-20
Updated: 2005-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:33:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27859885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jo_Lasalle/pseuds/Jo%20Lasalle
Summary: It's a victory party. Somebody must have won something.Set at the end of Colonial Day.(Part of a number of stories re-uploaded for archival purposes. It's been over 15 years, and so any tagging or summaries are going to be extremely bare-bones! I tried to time a bulk upload so nobody got 10 separate notifications, but if I did accidentally spam people, my apologies!)





	Foundation

**Author's Note:**

> Re-uploaded for archival purposes. It's been over 15 years, and so any tagging or summaries are going to be extremely bare-bones.

The illusion of dusk came with an evening chill. Impressive. Not even the grid was visible against the stars, a real view now, perfecting the deception.

Lee welcomed the cool air, his head heavy with fatigue and a fading buzz. He set his empty glass on the artfully carved stone barrier, wondering if croaking frogs would be next. Frogs wouldn't be too bad, as long as he was left alone on the patio, just for a while.

It wasn't bad, as these events went. The drinks were better than anything he'd had lately, and there was the fascination of Kara in a dress. But he'd needed out, a break from manoeuvring the packed dance floor and worrying he might spoil people's fun.

He heard her heels on the stone floor from quite a bit away, small, leisurely steps. When he turned to face her she had her hands in the pockets of her jacket. "Do you mind, Captain?" she asked, a casual tilt to her head and a smile in her voice. "I don't want to intrude."

Zarek's smile had marked the end of his rope: a look so full of sheer _indulgence_ that Lee wanted to punch him into next month.

"Not at all," he said, not needing to think about the answer. She stepped up next to him, squinting to make out shapes in the twilight without her glasses.

"Should you be out here, Madam President?"

"I'm just getting some air," she said, ignoring his question, as was her right. As if he had any right to talk about keeping her safe.

She slung her jacket over the balustrade, next to his hand. The back of her blouse was crumpled from a long day. Leaning back her head, she took a deep breath. "It's very realistic, isn't it?"

Lee nodded, even though she had her eyes closed. "It's a good imitation." Plain to see in her tense shoulders, in her weary silence how tired she was. How much the law had worn her out.

But when she looked at him her face was softer than he remembered seeing it for days. "You don't think we have reason to celebrate?"

"I think you do." Whereas Lee only had helpless anger to show for himself, and an ineffective bit of posturing that had eased her burden not an ounce. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself tonight," he added, meaning it.

"It's funny." She was still looking at him with curiosity. "I didn't think I would. I did think that I might find you out here, blaming yourself." And she gave him a small, almost teasing smile that made him turn away, look for any distraction on the darkened grounds.

"You shouldn't. I don't." Her presidential voice.

He'd been so smart, so _sure_. So righteous. Democracy. The rule of law. I offer you reason, and I put my trust in yours.

And it all came down to a gun. Came down to two bullets, the one he should have fired and the one that was meant for her.

"I'm sorry," he said. Vaguely, he felt it should trouble him more that a man had been murdered in their custody while handcuffed and helpless. "I'm sorry we didn't get anything on Zarek."

With a gun in his hand, hearing himself spout things he would find appalling from a stranger, and still there'd been nothing, no way to amend for his abysmal lack of judgement, that day on the Astral Queen.

I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I'm sorry you had to do it all by yourself.

"It's all right. I can deal with Tom Zarek when the time comes."

Lee watched the shadows, couples wandering about the lawn, a lone figure here and there. The garden was safe, all the guests cleared. He wondered if he'd have the reflexes, get to her in time, if he could spot the gun and shield her against it, if nothing else. "I don't doubt it."

He heard her sigh. "It's not your job to protect me from the more unsavoury aspects of my job, Captain."

"I should have killed him when I had the chance."

No, she couldn't deny that the thought had at least crossed her mind, how much easier all their lives would be if he hadn't let himself be lured in like a stupid little boy. "You don't mean that."

"I do."

The silence lasted until he finally turned back towards her. She was leaning sideways against the balustrade with one hand on her hip. In her most no-nonsense voices she said, "He really got to you, didn't he?"

And wasn't that the truth. Zarek hadn't even needed to go to great lengths to play him. Lee had come up with the lofty ideas all by himself. "I thought--" Not a saint, or a hero; at least his delusion had never taken him that far. But someone he thought he understood. "I thought we had a common ground."

She didn't comment on that, and that was fine; she'd done enough, she didn't need to be his confessor on top of everything.

"None of what you said that day is any less true because of what Zarek may or may not have done."

"Valance was invited to tonight's party." His voice was flat, bordering on disrespectful. If not for a stupid bar fight, if not for some asshole's bad temper--

"None of what you said that day," she said, and there was no way he could keep avoiding her eyes that wasn't rude, "is any less true now."

"It was dumb luck we found the gun. You could be dead right now."

She didn't flinch. She only looked at him, thoughtful, possibly amused, and then she stepped into his space and kissed him on the cheek. He held himself motionless, feeling the brief tickle of her hair as she sat back down on her heels.

"That was one I enjoyed," she said, smiling, and Lee found himself smiling along even though he didn't quite understand. It was all right, she was saying, and maybe he should just trust her on this. He'd trusted her on all the rest, from day one.

Lee jumped when orange light exploded overhead, pulling her aside but he wasn't sure where it had come from, where to look, until her voice registered with him. "It's fireworks, Captain Apollo." Her voice was calming, but she had startled, too. Almost nervously, she tugged against his grip, and Lee let go, feeling his face flush.

Somewhere, doors were opened and the hum of dozens of voices spilled outside. Vipers were flying past in formation, and here and there small bursts of colour flared up in the sky.

"Colonial Day," she said, her face caught between a smile and something more wistful. The day they signed the Articles. Lee swallowed, wishing for the sudden heaviness in his throat to go away. In the shadow of their bodies and the changing light, she squeezed his hand. "Can't have that without fireworks." He wondered if she remembered other, less pitiful celebrations. Then her fingers slipped away as people were strolling past them, down the stairs onto the lawn, and she stepped back.

He heard someone call out his name, then someone asking for the President. She picked up her jacket. Another triangle of Vipers flew by, leaving sparkling traces in empty space.

She straightened her clothes and met his eyes. "Not any less true," she said quietly over the chatter.

Lee nodded once, letting her go. The quorum delegates were assembling in a central spot on the lawn. She'd go there and make conversation, and stroke egos, and strengthen alliances, and she'd do it better than Zarek. No doubt she would.

Lee picked up his empty glass, watching her as she walked, her steps on the lawn sure and determined in the flickering glow of the occasion.


End file.
